


anemone

by joantaro



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst?, F/M, Friendzone, Hanahaki Disease, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I'm Bad At Summaries, Pining, Unrequited Love, i have no idea how to write the summary rip, this story is so plain and generic i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-21
Packaged: 2020-05-14 03:51:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19265338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joantaro/pseuds/joantaro
Summary: thank you so much for taking the time to read this! i'm not sure if this is unnecessarily long or rushed, but i'm sorry either way. this was a school project and i have no prior experience regarding writing;; on top of that, english isn't my second language. thank you for understanding, i hope y'all enjoyed <3





	1. Chapter 1

_hanahaki disease:_

an illness born from one-sided love, where the patient throws up and coughs of flower petals when they suffer from one-sided love

* * *

             I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the hospital door. I had been visiting Mary for a few days now, and this time was no different. She's been staying in the hospital for a week as a consequence of.. her condition worsening. She'd reassure me by saying that she's actually getting better, but I know that she's lying.. I initially felt betrayed until I realized that I would've done the same thing. Why get angry over something that you yourself would do, right? I'm sure that she only wanted to comfort me, but still...

            Before I eat all of my time by reminiscing in front of the door, I finally mustered up the energy to turn the knob. I walked in on her folding origami cranes. Upon hearing my footsteps, she immediately turned to me with a gleaming smile.

            "Oh, Kylie! Good afternoon~!" She joyfully chirped at me. I simply rolled my eyes at her as usual, to which she responded with puppy dog eyes and a pout.

            "Aww, don't be like that... You do know that the more you hate, the more you love!" She giggled at me, fixing her position on her bed. I attempted to shoot a glare towards her, but I couldn't. No matter how much I try, I can't seem to stay angry at her.. Especially not about something this petty. Especially not about something I'll miss. Especially not when.. this will all end soon.

            I soon succumbed to her teasing and sighed. "Alright, alright.. Good afternoon to you, too, Mary."

            I expected her to cheer in triumph, but Mary looked at me like a deer in the headlights. "... Seriously? A-are you okay?"

            "What?"

            "That's an unusual reply from you.. Kyle finally giving in to my teasing? I'm shocked.. in a good way!!" The corners of her lips then curved upwards, forming a mischievous smirk. "Or maybe.. You finally realized the fruit of your forbidden desires..."

            I questioningly raised an eyebrow. "And what do you mean by that?"

            She said in a sing-song tone, "It means that you've fallen for me!! Oh, we're like Romeo and Juliet--"

            I immediately had to cut her off before she went even further. "Geez, shut up.."  I lowered my eyes and hid my face, but I couldn't hold my smile back. How could I, when all she was doing is be happy amidst her illness? How could I, when all she wants to do is spend time with me? She was far too good to be antagonized by me.

            I decided to change the subject while it's still not too late. "Anyway, how are you doing now?" Mary pondered, placing her hand under her chin and turning her eyes upwards.

            "Hmm.. I'm feeling okay! I've done around fifty-eight cranes since I woke up.."  She resumed working on her origami cranes. To be frank, the fact that she's being so diligent about all this is impressive.  When she still attended school, she barely gave a crap about her studies.. or anything in general. Despite that, she was so laid-back, so fun to be with.. You'd be able to tell by her smiles and laughter that her happiness was genuine. These days, her smiles look forced. Her laughter sounds empty. Her lips appear strained. Everything about her seems so.. fake now. I...

            I miss that sincerity.

            I can't blame her, though. Unrequited love always hurts, no matter what your age or gender is..

            I decided to stop mulling over such a trivial thing, and start a bit of small talk. Thinking about possible topics I could bring up, I remembered that I had forgotten to ask why she was making cranes during my last visit. Now should be a perfect opportunity.

            "Hey, Mary?"

            She didn't turn to me, albeit I saw her perk up in her seat. "Mhm?"

            I pointed my index finger towards her pile of cranes. "What are those for?"

            She didn't say a word. After a few seconds of processing my question, she laughed a little. "You always saw me doing this.. But you didn't know what they are?"

            "That's why I'm asking now, right? I am sooo sorry for being uncultured!" I crossed my arms and huffed at her. I soon started to regret my question, because I might've looked ignorant.. Ugh, I bet she's internally laughing right now! I could feel my cheeks heat up, and I did not like it one bit.

            .. Or maybe not. I peeked at her to see if my assumption was right..

            .. I was wrong, but I could see her stifling her laughter. That damn girl..!

            She finally managed to collect herself. "I'm aiming to make a thousand of these! There's a Japanese legend that if you fold one thousand cranes within one year, the gods will make any wish come true..! That or they'll just give you good fortune in general. Luckily, that good fortune already includes good health and good relationships!! It's a win-win situation!!" Mary grinned excitedly, enthusiasm evident in her eyes. I couldn't help but admire her determination. She must've been greatly inspired by..

            "Let me guess. You're going to wish for Arthur to reciprocate your feelings, aren't you?"

            She smiled wider. "Of course! Not only will it heal me.. it will also make me become the haaappiest girl in the whole entire world!!!" She giggled to herself.  I only nodded in reply.

            Arthur Hawthorne was the lucky man Mary had her eyes on. She'd always fawn over him; he was an intelligent history nerd, and Mary would describe him as "incredibly sweet once you finally get to know him." Like her, Arthur was also passionate about those popular "idols."  Along with pop culture, it was the thing that brought them together.  They were still a bit awkward early in the friendship, but they eventually got comfortable with each other. It was the perfect friendship; they always spent time together, they never got into serious issues, and they never replaced each other. It was all good..

            Until Mary fell for him.

            They never got awkward, because Mary was keen on never letting him know. Initially, she only saw her feelings as infatuation. However, when she realized that her feelings were way more powerful.. She couldn't do anything about it. She didn't act her feelings out, in fear of "ruining" their friendship. She suffered the pains of one sided love in silence, quietly hoping that he would someday return her feelings for him. She tried to see her crush as an inspiration, and looked at the matter positively. Unfortunately, that changed when Arthur confided in Mary

            About his crush on another girl.

            He wanted to seek advice on how to approach his crush. He concluded that it would be best to ask from a girl he was comfortable with.. Unbeknownst to him, it destroyed Mary. She was devastated. It wasn't a rejection because she never confessed, but the emotional impact was enough to trigger it: her hanahaki disease.  She managed to help him out in spite of her own dilemmas, even though it was excruciating for her.

            After that, she still went to school for a while. She still hung out with him, despite the grief she felt. Her cheerfulness was still present, yet for what reason? I vividly remember seeing how somber she would be upon being left alone. How she'd look at him talk to his crush with sullen eyes, grief stricken. How she'd hold her tears back when she sees them smile at each other.

            And how she'd act like nothing was wrong, even if she had been staying in the bathroom for almost an hour.

            I saw through her act, though. As one of Mary's other close friends, I inquired if she has been experiencing the disease. At first, she was very reluctant on admitting it. She kept denying it at every chance she got. I eventually found out that she did have the disease.. when I saw her lying limp on the floor, surrounded by her own blood and anemone petals.

            Until now, she still doesn't want the flowers to be removed via surgery. We tried to convince Mary that it's for the best, but she still protests. It personally puzzles me that she prefers passing away in sorrow rather than living on without any more difficulties.. I'm just hoping that someday, somehow, her mind suddenly changes and she decides to finally move on.

            I stole a glance from her again. As I expected, her smile had reverted back to a frown. The more I think about how her former, lively self has faded away, the more it saddens me. I wish everything could go back to normal, but I know that there's only an outside chance of it.

            I thought that it would be better to leave her be for the time being, so I did just that. I started on my assignments for the day while she did her origami cranes. There wasn't a single word uttered between us, albeit it was a comfortable silence. Each other's company was enough to keep us going by ourselves, and we didn't have any issues with that. That remained for what seemed like only a few minutes.. And just like that, dusk fell.

            I fixed my belongings and put them back in my bag, slinging the strap over my shoulder. "I'm leaving now... I'll see you tomorrow. Take care, okay?" I stood up and fixed myself. "Also.. don't stay up too late, or else the ghostly apparitions will start to show.." I added, giving her a playful smirk.

            Mary furrowed her eyebrows and proceeded to whine at me. "Kyyyyyle!!" I merely chuckled in reply. She yelped, "If that does happen, I'll make sure to haunt you! Especially when you're on the toilet!!"

            That caught me off guard. I wasn't certain if she was joking or not.. She sounded serious, but I still couldn't help bursting into laughter. I caught a glimpse of her scowling at me, but she eventually started laughing with me.

            It was one of the very few moments where I felt completely at ease, free from the stresses of the outside world. Free from the stresses of having to constantly listen to my mind in solitude; it was always a horrid cacophony of endless murmuring. In spite of everything.. I was able to find a bit of joy in this place, in this moment. I managed to catch a hint of candour in her mirth, and I have never felt so glad. I felt so happy.. that somehow, Mary was still able to enjoy life, even just a little. Even if the pain may have gotten too much for her to bear at times.. I found it amazing.

            "Alright, sure.. Good luck with that." I walked towards the door, then bid her farewell. "I'll see you tomorrow! Take care of yourself." I waved at her. She returned the gesture with a smile, saying, "Bye bye! Take care, too!"

            And with that, I left.

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

            The next day started with me running late for school as a consequence of spending too much time in the bathroom. I received a reprimanding from our dearest and most beloved teacher.

            "Kyle Davis, I can't believe you're late again! Once you come in late for the third time this month, I'm giving you a detention!"

            I shook my head as I tried to remove Mrs. White's voice in my head. Whenever her voice rings in my head for too long, I would get a mild headache. I didn't want to get a headache now.. not when today was going to be one of those more special days.

            School ended before I knew it. Like my recent days, I decided to pay a visit to Mary again. This time, however.. I decided to stop by a flower shop. I bought a small bouquet of three coral roses for Mary to keep in her vase. She had already received a few flowers from other people beforehand, but.. she won't lose anything if I add more into that, will she?

            I eventually reached the hospital after several minutes of contemplation while walking. As I was about to open the door, I heard voices from inside the room. The feminine voice was obviously Mary's, but the other voice sounded like.. Arthur's?

            Overcome by my curiosity, I made up my mind to eavesdrop. I'm aware that some people consider it morally wrong, but.. desperate times call for desperate measures. Before initiating my little "mission," I looked around for any witnesses that could start gossips about a weird creep on the loose. After doing a thorough check on my surroundings, I finally leaned in and cautiously pressed my ear against the door. I closed an eye in order to focus my senses on hearing..

            "A teddy bear..? A-Arthur, you didn't have to..!" Though Mary's tone sounded shocked, I could clearly hear the glee in her voice.

            I heard Arthur chuckle. "I insist. I haven't been able to spend much time with you due to school work, so this is the least I can do.."

            That statement perplexed me. Why did he think that it was a good idea to make it up with a material gift instead of trying to spend more time with her? For me, it was absurd. No amount of materialistic gifts should be able to replace quality time with a loved one. You can buy gifts over and over, but you can't repeat memories.

            Arthur continued. "Maybe you could try.. Imagining that the teddy bear is me? You could let it sit beside you and think that I'm right by your side. Or maybe.. hug it when you go to sleep and think that I'm cuddling you..?" There was an awkward silence afterwards.. I wasn't involved in the conversation, but the awkwardness made me wince internally.

            Mary must've noticed that the conversation was going into a subject she didn't want to touch. "S-still! Why a stuffed toy, anyway..? You know you could have given this to.. other girls instead.." I could hear the grief in her voice.. It almost choked me to remember how agonizing it must have been for her to go through such things beyond her control.

            Arthur sighed. "Because I knew that you liked stuffed toys..? And I can't give it to other girls, since.. well, other people your age aren't a fan of cute plushies anymore." A snicker came out from him, and I heard Mary scoff at him in reply.

            "In addition to that.." Arthur continued, "You're still one of the most important people in my life. I hope you haven't forgotten that, just because I've started talking to more people."

            ".. Really?"

            "Of course!" Arthur raised his voice high enough to make me jolt up in my position. "Sure, I haven't been spending much time with you than I used to, but that doesn't mean that I don't think about you anymore! You mean a lot to me.. waaay more than you think. You're just too.. special for me to forget just like that, you know?" He sighed again, presumably from embarrassment of having to reveal his true feelings.

            Arthur could be a bit stubborn at times, but his pride can get even more annoying. His ego is pretty high; he didn't like losing to anyone, may it be an argument or getting the highest score in a test. Aside from that, he doesn't like exposing his true emotions. Whenever someone tries to squeeze something out from him, he'd get defensive and deny everything. He avoids being honest with himself for the sake of maintaining his ego.. Sometimes, I wonder how Mary befriended AND fell for a guy like him. I mean, they're polar opposites, aren't they? Perhaps he shows his soft spot only to those people whom he's comfortable with.. Or that his "goody two shoes" persona is only a facade to look high and mighty amidst everybody...

            Mary finally spoke up after what seemed like forever. "Do you mean that..?"

            Arthur reassured her with a calming tone. "Of course I do. I would never lie to you about something like that.."

            I heard light footsteps shuffle across the floor. I figured that it must've been Mary, moving to get closer to Arthur. She probably got up to approach him for a hug..

            "Thank you so much, Arthur.. That meant a lot to me. I really appreciate it.. Oh, and I love you! No homo." She snickered at what she said.

            Again, I immediately saw through her words. She definitely said "no homo" just to avoid the awkward consequences of saying "I love you" to her close friend. To be frank, that wasn't even necessary in the first place because they can't be "homo"..

            Arthur sighed in contentment and replied, "You're welcome, and I love you too.. No homo as well." He finished his sentence with a chuckle.

            They seemed to be having a rare bonding time.. I didn't want to disturb that since I come here everyday, whereas Arthur only comes by about weekly. Hence, I decided that it would be better to visit Mary after Arthur leaves. I headed to the hospital's waiting room for the time being, and took a seat. I looked around, and I was lucky to have the room all to myself.

            I was alone. It was the perfect time for me to reflect on everything.

            I had been wondering about the morality of this illness that everyone knows about: the hanahaki disease. Anyone who falls in love becomes exposed to it. When their love is confirmed to be one sided.. That's the time when they become victims and get subjected to the illness. Flowers would grow in the victim's heart and lungs, the victim would throw the flower petals up, then it'll keep exacerbating until it's cured, one way or another.. And how will it end? The victim will either get the flowers removed via surgery and all their romantic feelings for their love interest will disappear.. or they will die from the severity of the disease. I don't get why people whose feelings aren't returned have to suffer. Is it a sin to be a victim of unrequited love? Is it bad that people can't always love each other romantically? Not everything will be reciprocated in this world, right? So why do they have to suffer? If there really was a god.. Why would he let this happen? They say that loving your neighbors is god's work.. but in this world, loving others can kill you. I don't believe anything about him. Can he really put an end to all the negativity in the world? If so, why don't he start with this damned disease? Does he not care about that? Or is it simply too much of a big problem to take care of?

           Maybe..                                                                                                                                   

            He just doesn't exist at all?

            Before I could resume my contemplation, I saw Arthur finally leave the room. Of course, I took this as an opportunity to visit Mary. I stood up and headed to her room, until Arthur swiftly stopped me.

            He warily eyed me, scanning my figure from head to toe. A couple seconds passed and he finally spoke up. "You're.. Kyle Davis, am I right?"

            I felt reluctant, but I nodded. More than anything, I was puzzled. Despite Arthur and I being close friends with the same person, we never really talked to each other. I considered his interests to be too lame for me, and vice versa. We were the exception to the saying "opposites attract." I believe that no matter how much we try, we still wouldn't become long term friends. We may talk to each other when the subject involves school work, but otherwise? We would never chat or anything.

            "I see.. Could I have a word with you?" He asked me politely.

            I was taken aback. I always disliked how he speaks in a certain posh manner.. He spoke and acted as if he was a higher being than all of us. Arrogant people always got into my nerves.. Except now, since it almost looks like he's lowering himself in front of me. This occurrence was so unlikely that I could perceive this moment as a simple dream. Shockingly, it's reality.

            "Sure thing. Where do you want to talk?"

            Arthur paused for a while. "Somewhere secluded.. A cafe or a coffee shop will do."

            I could have declined his offer, but I had a gut feeling that he was going to bring up something important. As I didn't want to miss anything, I went with him to the hospital cafe. I sat across him on a small table, sipping on my iced coffee.

            "So.." I said expectantly, placing my cup on the table and intertwining my fingers together. "What did you want to talk about?"

            Arthur mirrored my gesture, then sighed. "I.. was thinking of asking you a favor."

            I thought that it was illogical to ask someone a favor out of the blue when you aren't even acquaintances with them. As I opened my mouth to protest, he added, "On Mary's behalf."

            That was enough to keep me listening. ".. What is it?"

            He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. "You visit her daily, don't you? Please.. keep it up."

            I raised an eyebrow. "I already do that everyday.. What gave you the idea that I was planning to stop soon? I never even thought of that." If anything, he should tell himself to continue visiting her..!

            "No, no.." He shook his head in disagreement. "I wasn't implying anything like that. I'm just.. asking you to continue that routine. In my place."

            I decided to have my curiosity satisfied. "Why don't you do that yourself? You rarely visit her, even though the two of you are great friends."  
            Overcome with yearning, Arthur lowered his gaze and sighed once more. "I really wish I could do that... I do want to spend more time with her, but my responsibilities are just.. too much for me to have a lot of free time. I can't leave them hanging in the air, no matter what happens.. This is the path I chose to take, and I should face the consequences."

            I felt like rising up from my chair and slamming my fists on the table. How could he choose his "responsibilities" over Mary? She could bite the dust anytime.. and it's all because of him! Did he ever stop to think that any moment he spends with Mary could be their last? Why can't he make sacrifices for her? Can't he delay those duties of his to make time for someone who may not last for too long in this world? Those responsibilities.. He can always catch up with those, but Mary? He won't be able to rewind time. He won't be able to bring Mary back when she passes away. The only thing he'd be able to do is mourn and regret not being there when she needed him. Did he never think about what would happen?

            Unless...

            He doesn't really care about her.

            .. No, that can't be. I shook that thought off my head and tried my best to remain calm, in spite of my seething ire. "So you're choosing to prioritize your position as a member of the class council.. rather than giving priority to Mary?"

            His eyes remained downcast. Though I was frustrated with him at the current moment, I was able to pick up on the bitterness and guilt that he felt.

            ".. Essentially, yes. But if I could do otherwise, I absolutely would..! Had I known that something like this would happen in the future, I would have dropped everything. My dreams to be a part of that damn council, I mean.." He sighed for the umpteenth time. ".. I'd rather throw my greedy desires aside than just let her stay on the sidelines."

            I was astounded again. Did he just admit that his wish was greedy of him? I had no idea that a side like this existed in him..! It's as if I'm talking to a whole different version of Arthur right now.. I started to doubt reality and debated if I was in a deep phantasmagoria or not.

            He continued. "I never thought about how.. spending time with her was more important than the council. Whenever I was busy doing paper works, I would push her away and say that I'm busy. After I tell her that.. She would stay quiet, but she never left. I never appreciated that until now. I'd say that I miss it, even.." He gave a melancholic chuckle. "I wish I could redo everything, so I would have done more effort to be with her. I wish I never joined the council.. but it's too late now. I can't turn back, now that the council trusts me with a lot of things. I can't just find a replacement in an instant.. Even if I do, it would still be very difficult. The council and I won't be able to adjust in such a short amount of time; it'll just create more conflicts with our schedules and all." Arthur paused to gather the last bits of his thoughts. "To put it simply.. I cherish all my moments with Mary. I find them more valuable and precious than my work at the council.. I wish I knew how to express that to her. Well, I'm sure that I'll be able to let her know if I visit more frequently. But then again, I can't..."

            There was silence. I have a feeling that he went quiet, expecting some sort of response from me whether it was positive or negative. Unfortunate for him, I was speechless. I was still letting his words sink in—I had no idea that he felt like that towards her. Everything happened too fast.. I didn't expect any of it, thinking that he was just going to come up with an invalid excuse. I never saw him as anything other than a work-oriented person, so being stormed with these unforeseen thoughts.. It was too much for me to process on the spot.

            ".. Davis? Were you listening..?" Arthur innocently inquired. I, on the other hand, felt a little hurt. I can't believe he assumed that I wasn't following his words just because I couldn't reply..!

            "Y-yeah, of course. I was just.. shocked, to say the least." I raised my cup of iced coffee and took the last sips. "Sorry for the delay. I really was just taken aback, because... To be blunt, I had no idea that you felt that way."

            Arthur simply nodded at me. I took this as a signal to continue. "I even thought that you didn't care about her--"

            "What!?" Arthur was on the brink of shrilling at me, and I have never felt so embarrassed in public. I immediately regretted my horrible choice of words. "W-what made you get that idea? Was it just because of me rarely visiting her, even if we're close friends? Or did I unintentionally do something that implied that idea..? Please tell me, so I could change it..!"

            This man never failed to shock me today. His words and actions at school were usually so predictable, but today.. He really is a different man. "Please" was one of the many words which he only says to school authorities, so hearing that from him almost caught me off guard. Arthur being emotionally vulnerable was one of the things that you'd only get to see once in your lifetime... "Hey, calm down. I just blindly came into that conclusion upon realizing that you don't really visit her.. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. I didn't have any other 'evidence' or whatever. It was just a hunch, I guess."

            He puffed out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness.. I thought that I had really done something wrong again. I don't want her to get the wrong idea.. I hope she didn't. I'm determined to prove to her how much she means to me, but I don't know if I'll be able to succeed in that.." I was able to hear hints of uncertainty, fear, and doubt in his voice. I was starting to sympathize with him. Deep inside, however, I was confused. Wasn't he in love with another girl? In that case, wouldn't he care more about that? It ultimately bewildered me that he held this much concern towards his relationship with Mary. But since I don't have a clear answer to all my questions at the moment, I decided that it would be best if I offer him support for now.  
            "I'm sure you will..! Visiting her all the way here might be too much of an assignment for you, but there's many other things you could do that will still show her how much you care. These can range from sending her texts throughout the day to giving her calls, asking about how she's currently doing.. It could be as simple as that. Those things may not mean much for some people, but for Mary? I'm sure she'll find those little things really sweet and thoughtful.. Especially from you. She values everything from you, y'know."

            Arthur slightly widened his eyes in disbelief. "Really?" .. And I realized that I may or may not have screwed up. Mary trusted me with keeping her feelings a secret from everyone, especially Arthur. And here I am, hinting that she has feelings for him..!  
            I panicked a little. "Y-yeah! Since you're usually a busy person, the time and effort you set aside for her really means a lot to her! More than you know.. That's why you don't have to worry about anything. I'm sure she doesn't think badly of you." Definitely not. She'd never see Arthur as a bad person.

            After staring at me in pure shock, he finally responded by smiling softly. "Really? I'm glad.." He must have realized how out of character he's gotten, for he quickly fixed his composure and cleared his throat. ".. You're correct. I'll try those out.. And the favor I asked you? It still stands."

            I shrugged. "Sure, I have no problem with that."

            Arthur gave me a warm smile. "Thank you so much, Davis.. I'll make sure to remember this for years to come." That sentence didn't make much sense to me, though. Years to come? Isn't that a bit too much?

            Nevertheless, I made the effort to smile back. "No problem."

            "Well then.. I may have said much more than I planned. I apologize for that." Arthur stood up from his chair and fixed himself. "I'm leaving now. I hope the best for you in the present and in the future.. Goodbye." He gave one last wave at me before walking away. I stared at his figure until he was nothing but a minute dot in the distance.

            I remained in my chair, still processing the event that recently took place. To be frank, I had never looked at Arthur that way.. From now on, I can never look at him the same way ever again. After a while of just reminiscing about it, I finally got up and headed for Mary's room. I entered her room with the bouquet behind my back and walked in on Mary folding origami cranes, as usual. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except for a familiar teddy bear beside her on the bed. She quickly noticed my presence and smiled at me.

            "Kylie, you're here! I didn't think you'd still come to visit.."

            "Huh?" I glanced at the wall clock. I couldn't blame her for thinking that, since I was two hours late from my usual arrival.  "Oh, sorry about that.." I laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head with one hand.

            She shrugged, the smile on her face still present. "I don't mind! Take a seat!"

            "Oh, no.." I shook my head and walked to her bedside, my hands still behind me. "I'm going to do something.. But first, you have to close your eyes."

            She tilted her head to the side. "Hm? Is this a prank of some sort..?" Her eyes drifted to where my hands should be. "Kyle, I swear..!"

            I chuckled at her. "I won't trick you, really! I promise."

            Mary narrowed her eyes at me with a pout before giving in. "Mmm.. You better." With that, she shut her eyes.

            As she closed her eyes, I took the bouquet from behind my back. I observed the flower vase on her bedside table. There was an array of jasmines, daisies, tulips, and even chrysanthemums.  After examining the flowers, I started to add mine into the arrangement. One by one, I lifted the roses from the bouquet and transferred them to her vase.

            I stepped back and scrutinized the display of flowers, now that I have added additional flowers. The roses definitely stood out among the rest.. I went to make a few more adjustments to the arrangement before finally getting satisfied with it. "Okay.. Open your eyes now."

            She did as I said.. although she didn't know what changed yet. "Erm.. What did you do? I didn't hear anything or whatever.." Mary looked around, searching for that "new" object.

            "Good luck finding it." I chuckled at her. She simply pouted at me as a reply.. I deemed her facial expression too irresistible for me to tease her further. "Alright.. It's right there." I pointed my index finger to her flower vase. Mary shifted her head to the direction I was pointing, and she heaved a gasp. "Roses..?" She glanced at me for confirmation, and I nodded. She grinned from ear to ear..

            And it was one of the best things I have ever witnessed right in front of my eyes.

            "Thank you so much, Kyle! That's so sweet and thoughtful of you! I really appreciate it lots..!" She got up from bed and stood in front of the vase in order to beam at it more. "Aah, it's so pretty! And the flowers look.. a bit more harmonized now, too!" She turned to me, her smile still plastered all over her face. "Did you fix this? It's so much better now!"

            I smiled back, nodding. Before I knew it, Mary had wrapped her arms around me. Nuzzling her nose into the fabric of my shirt, she whispered a little "Thank you." I returned the gesture, muttering, "You're welcome."

            That moment felt so ethereal. Both of us were in pure tranquility; it felt like we were detached from the confines of this world. I wished to stay in that position forever, but I knew better than to hope for something that'll never happen. Sooner or later, she eventually slipped away from my grasp. Afterwards, nothing was done. We continued our respective projects: she did her cranes, I did my homework. As usual, nothing was exchanged between us, but it was still a comfortable silence.

            An hour or two passed and it was time for me to go back home. I fixed my belongings, then I bid her my usual farewell. I exited her room and headed to the stairs. Suddenly, I heard something reverberating—it resembled a person's strong coughing fit. I wondered if it was Mary.. but I was baffled. I debated whether to return or not, since it could easily be another person. In addition to that, I was sure that she regularly takes medicine which fights the infection in the lungs. As far as I know, it manages the infection and relieves coughing. Therefore, it couldn't be her.. It shouldn't be her.

            After a short moment of contemplation, I decided that it would be best if I just go home. Besides, I've spent too much time in the hospital. I need to remember that taking care of myself is more important than tending to Mary.. It's not like I harbor any feelings for her to do otherwise.

            And just like that, the day ended.


	3. Chapter 3

            Hours turned to days. It was a Sunday, and I chose to spend my day at Mary's again. After all, any moment could be our last. I don't want her to pass away with no one by her side.. I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. I made sure that she never felt abandoned.. platonically, at least. She may feel lonely for not having a significant other, but I ensured that she won't feel completely alone. Don't get me wrong—I'm not doing this just because Arthur asked me to. I'm doing all these.. as her friend. I diligently did everything in my power to spend the most with her; we would binge watch movies, eat together, chat about nonsense, play video games, and the like. In substance, I made certain that we were having fun together. I wanted her to leave this world with contentment, despite not having her feelings reciprocated. I wanted to show her that not being loved back by your "crush" is completely okay, because you'll always have friends who never left you hanging in the air.

            I wanted her to know that having a significant other shouldn't define her worth, nor should it control her emotions.

            Those were my only wishes for her.

            Aside from me having those goals in mind.. Arthur started visiting Mary more often since that day we conversed. Initially, he would only stay for about ten minutes and merely inform Mary about things that happened at school. As time went on, he'd stay longer and talk about more topics. They talked about their interests and fawned over those things together.. while I stayed silent on one corner. I didn't mind at first, but it slowly got too awkward for me to handle. In the end, I'd have to force myself to move to the lobby every time Arthur arrives. Of course, it made me a little upset, but I ignored it.. for I knew that Mary was happier with him. It wouldn't be nice of me to snatch her of the things she treasured deeply.. I'm sure she wouldn't fully replace me with him. She's not that kind of person.. I'm sure of it.

            My train of thoughts was broken when Mary suddenly squealed. I turned to look at her. "What's up?"

            Mary started tearing up despite having a huge smile on her face. "I finally finished my one-thousandth crane..!" She happily yipped as she tossed it into her pile of origami cranes. "Now all I have to do is assemble it!"

            "You actually managed to finish it..?" Overcome with happiness for her, I returned her smile. "Congratulations! That project required a lot of time, effort, and commitment, didn't it..? I'm so proud of you..!" A part of me didn't think that she'd actually be able to finish it. For that reason, I was really astonished.

            Mary giggled again. "Thank you! I can't wait to make my wish.. Actually, what if I don't assemble it at all and just make my wish now? I can't keep working forever.." She grinned mischievously, but I wasn't having any of that.

            I shook my head in disapproval. "No, you can't do that.. I'm not letting you. It's been a tradition to manually assemble the cranes on a string once you're done folding everything, right? Who knows what will happen when you decide to go against the last part of that tradition? For all I know, the opposite thing might happen to you." I exhaled.

            I saw her frown at me, but I didn't let my expression soften. "Fine.. I guess you're right about that." She sighed. "Better safe than sorry, huh..? It IS rumored that you should never mess with the deities..."

            I snapped my fingers. "And not all rumors are made up."

            Mary chuckled in her seat. "You're right.."

            Subsequently, she started to assemble the cranes as I suggested. However, I decided to lend a hand this time. About an hour passed and we already finished way sooner than I expected. The cranes were lined up on strings that we hung on a rod; in turn, I hung the rod by the window.

            Mary laughed a little. "Thanks for replacing my curtains with.. one thousand paper birds." I laughed as well. "You're welcome."

            "Now.." Mary closed her eyes. "It's time to make my wish..! I don't know if it'll work, but here goes nothing..!" She took a deep breath, and.. "I want Arthur to love me back!"

            .......

            There was silence. She looked at me with a sheepish smile and shrugged. "Guess it doesn't work."

            I facepalmed. Did she really think that it'd work in an instant? "Of course it won't work on the spot, you idiot.."

            "Who told you that--"

            At that moment, Arthur arrived with a heart-shaped balloon in his hand. ".. My bad, did I interrupt anything?"

            I opened my mouth to reply, but Mary opened hers faster. "Not at all! Take a seat!"

            I sighed, standing up and walking towards the doorway with a smile. "I guess it's time for me to leave you two alone.. I'll see you two later."  
            Arthur smiled at me. "Thank you.. I owe you a lot for this." From the background, I saw Mary happily wave at me. I waved back before migrating to the lobby.

* * *

            Two hours have passed, and Arthur still hasn't left Mary's room. I found that to be very odd, because his visits never exceeded one hour. Unable to control my curiosity and suspicion, I decided to head back to the room. I was about to grasp the doorknob until I heard broken sobs from the other side of the door.

            "I love you.. I-I love you so much, Arthur..!"

            "Sshh.. I love you too, Mary.. I love you too..."

            .. I see. Miraculously, Mary's wish came true. That being so.. She must be cured of her disease by now. That was enough of a reason for me to be reassured that he was treating her well.. I doubted that I'd still be able to see Mary later, thus I headed back home.

* * *

            Upon arriving at my house, I immediately rushed to the bathroom. And before I knew it..

            I was lying limp on the floor, surrounded by my own blood and forget-me-not petals.

 

           

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for taking the time to read this! i'm not sure if this is unnecessarily long or rushed, but i'm sorry either way. this was a school project and i have no prior experience regarding writing;; on top of that, english isn't my second language. thank you for understanding, i hope y'all enjoyed <3


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